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Nahualli
Nahualli Don’t be silly! I ask nothing in return. The deed itself is its own reward. The Nahualli is a relatively recent bloodline, barely more than a century old. The lineage was founded near the end of the 19th century in Mexico, by a Ventrue of Spanish descent named Vinicio Peralta de Mosquera. Taking inspiration from certain aspects of Aztec religion, de Mosquera came to the conclusion that a Kindred was in effect a dual being, a dark soul and a light soul, sharing a single body. The Beast was one aspect of this nature, and the conscience remaining from before the Embrace was the other. Only through the acceptance of both could a Kindred attain a perfect existence. Tonight, the Nahualli have splintered into two factions, each led at least nominally by de Mosquera’s two childer, Roca and Bellido. Roca’s followers pursue the founder’s teachings under the guise of religion, while Bellido’s group takes a more studied, almost clinical approach. In keeping with de Mosquera’s dictates, those of his lineage usually appear cultured, even genteel. They not only invite the Beast’s urgings freely, however, they practice ritual murders that chill the Vitae of even the most jaded Kindred. The “Jekylls,” as they’re known in undead circles (where they’re known at all), hope that such extreme, dichotomous behavior will somehow further their progression to the perfect balance of their dual natures. The Nahualli are shunned in traditional vampire society, not only because of members’ grisly practices, but because they tend to be volatile and a risk to the Tradition of secrecy. Of the few Kindred aware of the line’s existence, most believe the Nahualli are simply Ventrue who have a weakness for multiple-personality disorder… and serial murder. Parent Clan: Ventrue Nickname: Jekylls Covenant Nahualli who regard their condition as primarily one of philosophical choice gravitate toward the Carthians, who represent a political allegory to line members’ own personal condition. Those who walk a more spiritual road are drawn to the Circle of the Crone, their theology being readily adaptable to that of the Acolytes. The Invictus draws members across the bloodline, no doubt due to the lingering effects of Ventrue parentage. Remaining Jekylls tend to go unaligned, as they prefer not to adopt a single set or communal goals. While a few join the Ordo Dracul for its dispassionate analysis of what would otherwise be regarded as horrific abuses, few members find a home in the Lancea Sanctum. Conflicting theology or a specific lack of spirituality is simply too great an impediment to being Sanctified. Appearance The Nahualli originally Embraced only childer of Mexican-Spanish heritage. Virtually all elders are of such origins. This tendency is more a result of geography than any racial preference, however, and the line now has representatives of most races. Like the Ventrue, Jekylls tend to dress as befits their status, although their attire is often less ostentatious than that of some in their parent clan, because many Nahualli have an academic background. Haven Line members, like the Ventrue, favor well appointed retreats. A Nahualli’s abode is more likely to be stocked with texts on religion or psychology, or with archaeological artifacts than with designer furniture. Elders of the lineage often favor stonework over other building materials, perhaps as a reminder of the havens of their early days. Due to the nature of their practices, most choose shelters isolated from society to lessen the likelihood of discovery. Those who don’t have such a luxury usually find a separate location where they’re safe to conduct their rituals. If not without fear of discovery, they can at least go without fear of compromising their havens. Background The Nahualli are exceedingly particular about indoctrinating new members. The very nature of their rituals would draw the attention of mortal authorities, so discretion is mandatory. The only time a would-be sire Embraces is when a new cabal of members is founded, and even then careful consideration is given to any choice. Philosophy is also central to the very being of the Nahualli and requires a certain mindset in a prospective inductee. Those of Roca’s following choose childer who might be described as charismatic, but naïve, with few social ties (the very sort targeted by religious cults). The more studious members descended from Bellido focus primarily on academics who’ve proven capable of entertaining unusual premises, or who are simply amoral in their pursuit of knowledge. Character Creation A character’s faction in the bloodline is influential to the qualities that he’s likely to possess. Roca’s initiates favor Social Attributes and Skills, the better to pursue and spread the gospel of their faithful interpretation of the vampiric “twin soul.” Meanwhile, Bellido’s colleagues focus on Mental Traits, primary Intelligence and Skills such as Academics, Investigation, Medicine, Occult and Science. The same can be said of Merits, with the first faction putting emphasis on Social ones such as Contacts, Mentor and Resources, and the second group seeking immersion in Mental Merits like Common Sense, Eidetic Memory, Encyclopedic Knowledge and Meditative Mind. Both sides recognize the importance of Physical traits, though, and give them due attention. Highly prized across the bloodline is the Humanity of a newcomer. While the lineage’s practices soon wear morality down, a strong foundation helps establish a middle ground with the Beast in an effort to balance the two parts of the soul. Someone who joins who is already a moral degenerate faces a much more challenging struggle to find balance. Indeed, a wanton killer might never find equilibrium and makes a target of himself among brethren who decide he’s lost his way. Bloodline Disciplines Auspex , Dominate , Resilience , Tezcatl Weakness Additionally, Nahualli have a difficult time resisting frenzy (including Rötschreck and Wassail) and riding the wave. Their focus on a dual nature handicaps them when trying to control the Beast, whether to quell or summon it. When Composure + Resolve is rolled to either resist or initiate frenzy, the 10 Again rule does not apply and any 1’s that come up on the roll subtract from successes achieved. (So, if three successes are rolled but two 1’s also turn up in the same roll, the result is reduced to one success.) Nahualli cannot use Willpower to augment any frenzy rolls, though they may spend a single Willpower point to control themselves for a single round when already frenzying (see Vampire: the Requiem, p. 180). Organization Roca’s religiously motivated group is formally structured. That isn’t necessarily surprising, since the bloodline is similar to a cult in many ways, and Roca is at the top. All of her followers in a given city belong to a group referred to as a calpulli. There are nearly always three to five members in a calpulli, unless it is still formative. Fewer than three are unable to properly complete the bloodline’s ritual practices. More than five are not only unnecessary, but often pose a risk of exposure. Seldom are all the members of a calpulli Kindred. One or two might be vampires and the rest ghouls bound to the eldest line member. The eldest Nahualli in a calpulli serves as a leader in rites, and is sometimes referred to as Tlamatinime (the Knower). For bloodline matters within a calpulli, the Tlamatinime’s word is law. Needless to say, no Prince would smile upon such usurpation. All the more reason why Nahualli typically present themselves to Kindred society as “mere” Ventrue. For Nahualli who take Bellido’s intellectual approach, no formal organization exists. Seldom more than a single Nahualli of this sort is found in a city, and little communication occurs between them. Each pursues his study on his own, sharing little for fear that his brethren will steal any “discovery” he makes and claim it for their own. Concepts Actor, archaeologist, cult leader, museum curator, psychologist, smuggler, surgeon, theologian History The bloodline’s founder, Vinicio Peralta de Mosquera, was Embraced by an unnamed Ventrue sometime during the late 16th century in Seville, Spain. De Mosquera was an instructor in theology at the university, which attracted his sire’s attention (himself a fairly well-placed member of the Lancea Sanctum). De Mosquera joined his sire’s covenant, but also continued to follow his own studies. De Mosquera remained Sanctified for over a century, but had increasing difficulty reconciling the teachings of the covenant with his own inclinations. Why, for example, would God choose to set up as an example of wickedness a being more powerful than a righteous mortal? The mortal Church insisted that God did not tempt mankind, yet it seemed to de Mosquera that the immediate power of undeath posed exactly that to short-sighted kine. Even worse, the prospect of true damnation seemed distant to a being who could easily exist for centuries — and possibly longer. De Mosquera found it harder and harder to accept the Spear’s doctrine as the truth of the Kindred condition. While De Mosquera was inquisitive, he wasn’t foolish. He understood all too well what the fate of any outspoken critic would be. (Especially one whose arguments could cite book, chapter and verse of a long list of contradictions in Scripture.) By that time, Spanish colonies in the New World had considerable size and population. Seville, the main port of call for vessels traveling to and from the colonies, provided de Mosquera with the opportunity to escape the oppression of his covenant. New Spain De Mosquera departed for the colony of New Spain, what roughly corresponds to modern Mexico, near the end of the 18th century. He settled in Mexico City, which by that time had a population of well over 100,000, the vast majority of whom were poor, indigenous people. Easy prey for one of the earliest Kindred in that region. For years, de Mosquera existed virtually alone, devoid of contact with other undead, and interacting with mortals only to feed. The New World had not drawn many of his kind for fear of travel and lack of vessels. De Mosquera therefore distracted himself by studying the Aztec culture still in evidence. Remnants of an older city, Tenochitlán, the capital of the fallen civilization, occupied the same site as Mexico City, and remains of it were apparent everywhere. Street vendors sold Aztec relics, pottery and jewelry. The very stones from Aztec buildings were used to erect new structures in the contemporary city. Even after decades as an inhuman predator, de Mosquera was shocked by the apparent viciousness of Aztec religious practices. Ritual sacrifice was practiced regularly in a manner that seemed almost gluttonous in its excess. He found evidence of mass killings that reached into the thousands. Beheading, flaying, the drowning of children, and the cutting out of hearts from living victims were practiced in regular cycles to appease the gods, both benign and malignant. The sheer brutality of the culture captivated the vampire. He made numerous nighttime visits to the University of Mexico where the Spanish viceroy had ordered most Aztec artifacts to be stored. The Church, and thus the viceroy, believed the relics could instigate anarchy by their very presence, and the public needed protection from them. Perhaps there was some foundation to these fears, for de Mosquera felt his blood stir just being in their presence. The Nahualli One of the elements de Mosquera found most intriguing about the Aztec religion was the concept of deities having multiple aspects. The chief god of the pantheon, Tezcatlipoca, was a dark and primarily evil god. He was the deity of night and deceit, famine and disease. His name meant “The Smoking Mirror,” for he represented all that was veiled in the world. De Mosquera noted, however, that Tezcatlipoca also had other aspects. To the Aztecs, another identity wasn’t merely another focus or realm of authority, it was for all purposes another entity. Tezcatlipoca, could also appear as Quetzalcóatl, the Plumed Serpent, god of knowledge and light. The concept was foreign to de Mosquera’s western philosophy, but he saw a parallel to the Kindred’s unliving yet immortal existence. The Ventrue recognized Tezcatlipoca as a more appropriate patron for the Kindred than the righteous God of the Lancea Sanctum. Tezcatlipoca was lord of the night, whereas the Christian deity was associated with the sun. Tezcatlipoca was the dark reflection of life, a smoking mirror of perception. But, like the Kindred, there remained aspects of good within his being. Where the difference came, in de Mosquera’s view, was that nowhere did he find evidence that Tezcatlipoca tried to reconcile his different aspects. In his evil aspect, Tezcatlipoca had the potential to destroy existence itself. But when in his good aspect, he represented renewal and protection. After decades of studying Aztec spirituality, de Mosquera came to the conclusion that his elders had led him down a path doomed to failure. Since he had been Embraced, he had been taught to control the Beast, similar to the way in which he had been taught as a human to avoid mortal sins. Were it necessary to protect the Tradition of secrecy, perhaps he could have understood it. Yet most Kindred spoke of the Beast as though it were an alien creature to be feared and avoided. De Mosquera recognized that the Beast was merely an aspect of a vampire’s existence, neither to be feared nor preferred over the more reasoned existence most Kindred sought to lead. Sometime about the mid-19th century, de Mosquera diverged from the Ventrue clan by the force of his new convictions, initiating his own bloodline. Or at least that’s the story the Nahualli tell. Other Kindred who know of the lineage claim that’s when de Mosquera finally succumbed to Ventrue fragility and plunged into full-blown dementia. There may be some truth to both accounts. Regardless, it was sometime around the middle of the century that de Mosquera stopped considering himself a Ventrue and took the name Nahualli, which he felt was a more appropriate descriptor for his new course. THE RITUAL OF FLAYING MEN At the middle of March, a calpulli or solitary Nahualli captures a male victim, preferably a warrior of some type (the term “warrior” can be interpreted liberally if necessary; a fireman or police officer might apply). The victim is skinned alive and the regional Tlamatinime or other performer wears the skin for the remainder of the night. This horrendous practice is ironically performed by line members when they’re most grounded — they’re fed and avoid possible triggers of derangements. De Mosquera began this tradition in tribute to Aztec practices, making offerings of his own to the Beast, what he came to call the Smoking Mirror. De Mosquera believed that by performing such gruesome acts while in a rational state, he honored the irrational aspect of the vampiric condition. Thus, he recognized the two sides of undeath, but distinguished them from each other. Tonight, outsiders point to the Ritual of Flaying Men and others like it as proof that the lineage founder had gone raving mad. That his childer still perform the rite might be testament to their own instability. Early Nights De Mosquera Embraced his first two childer at the end of the 19th century. Perhaps still influenced by his Ventrue heritage, he chose both from influential backgrounds in Mexico City. Luis Valdivia Tavares Bellido was a prominent philosophy professor at the University of Mexico who was intrigued by the radical theories of psychology developing in Europe. Beatriz Quadros Roca was the only remaining member of a family that claimed to trace descent from Moctezuma, one of the last great Aztec emperors. The fact that Roca had inherited a small fortune from her family’s silver mining concerns probably influenced the choice as well. In time, de Mosquera found his childer receptive to his teachings. Neither balked at the ritual murders to which he exposed them (but then again, prior to their Embrace, neither had to drink blood to survive, either). Given their isolation from established Kindred society, the childer had no other frame of reference from which to view their new reality. The small coterie practiced all manner of ritual murder. Victims were beheaded, skinned, burned, drowned or had their hearts removed while they still lived. De Mosquera taught these gruesome practices, he said, to allow the neonates to honor their own Smoking Mirrors. The rituals were planned to coincide loosely with Aztec festivals, initially only as a matter of form. When rites were not performed, de Mosquera required his childer to exhibit benevolence toward mortals. His requirements did not prohibit feeding, but he stressed that such should be as gentle and painless as possible. Only by so dividing the aspects of their Kindred nature could the childer realize their potential as dual beings. Although both were receptive, the two approached their sire’s lessons in drastically different ways. Bellido focused on psychological aspects, noting that the Aztecs believed the soul resided in three parts, which largely corresponded with Freud’s concepts of the id, ego and super-ego. Roca was drawn to the religious aspects of her training, perhaps due to her own claimed heritage or simply to differentiate herself from her undead sibling. This divergence between the two led to a competition between them for their sire’s approval. Bellido’s academic background allowed him to converse with de Mosquera about matters to which Roca had little if any knowledge. Meanwhile, Roca, an attractive and forceful woman, could easily hold her own in gaining de Mosquera’s attention, if by less intellectual means. THE GREAT FEAST DAY RITE In this ritual, a female captive is beheaded while standing. Participants push her body around until it falls, allowing the blood shed to cover as much ground as possible. The Nahualli Divided Not surprisingly, the two remaining members of the bloodline split. They had already drifted considerably in their interpretations of de Mosquera’s teachings. More and more, Bellido focused on the psychological aspects of differentiating the Beast from the more controlled portion of the vampire psyche. Roca continued down the spiritual road, adopting de Mosquera’s concept of the Smoking Mirror as not only a separate entity outside a vampire, but she elevated it to almost godlike status. CEASING OF WATER By Aztec tradition, this ritual is performed in mid-February. The ritual victim is beaten until he cries. At that point, the beatings cease and participants hold the victim under water until he drowns. Staying true to Aztec practices, the Nahualli prefer to subject a child to this atrocity. For a short while, the two Nahualli continued to exist in Mexico City, but grew increasingly hostile. Both realized the need to build their own coteries, not only for protection against each other, but to assist in performing the rituals that de Mosquera had taught them. Roca was determined to remain in the city; she claimed her ancestry gave her that right. Furthermore, the nearby ruins of Teotihuacán, the City of the Gods, held tremendous importance to her beliefs. Bellido, looking on Roca as primitive and uneducated, ceded Mexico City, insisting that his enlightened view was not tied to the “geography of superstition.” Over the decades that followed, both factions grew significantly and extended from central Mexico. The surge of population in the United States drew their largest numbers, although some (primarily those of Roca’s faction) traveled to South America. By the 1940s, they had increasing contact with other members of Kindred society as more and more traveled north. Some foreign Kindred were initially confused by the Nahualli’s seeming gentle nature. Other vampires quickly saw the newcomers as dangerously unpredictable and a threat to the Traditions. Not only was the bloodline apparently susceptible to frenzy, few of its members even attempted to resist the urges of the Beast. Their ritual practices were horrifically violent, apparently for the sake of violence itself, and they left the bodies of victims in their wake. Nahualli cabals were soon considered a danger to Kindred as a whole, regardless of whether they violated secrecy or not. In some cities, Princes declared blood hunts to eliminate the bloodline. Others exiled Jekylls, hoping that others would find a way to Final Death By the time de Mosquera founded his lineage, his blood had grown in potency to the point that only other Kindred Vitae could sustain him. The three solved this problem in a fashion that traditional Kindred society decries as both repulsive and incestuous. The coterie Embraced new childer for the sole purpose of appeasing the elder’s hunger. In order to avoid the risk of the Vinculum, de Mosquera drained newly created vampires completely. As a further safeguard, he instructed Roca and Bellido to impose Final Death on any who happened to survive his ministrations. While he informed his childer that such measures were simply meant to limit the strain that more vampires would inflict on the city’s mortals, both suspected there was another reason. Each sought to pry the answer from their sire, and both were able to piece together much of the truth from the partial answers they received and from their own observations. Roca recognized the potential to gain control of the coterie. Knowing her own weakness in resisting the Beast, it took little effort to stage feedings for de Mosquera with “half-full” vessels. If her sire succumbed to Wassail, she simply made sure that she was the first he reached. De Mosquera took no notice of his childe’s manipulation. Some modern Nahualli believe he had separated his aspects so thoroughly that the two had no knowledge of each other’s actions. His rational self was unaware that the Smoking Mirror risked Vinculum. Other more cynical Kindred are of the opinion that de Mosquera was a victim of multiple personality disorder, likely triggered by frenzy. Either way, the end result was the same. Roca’s sibling Bellido was not as blind as his sire. Some time after de Mosquera fell under Roca’s influence, one of the two childer inflicted Final Death on the sire. Two stories are told about how the founder was slain, depending on which faction tells the tale. Those of Bellido’s ancestry assert that the relationship between the men was close, and Roca feared that Bellido would alert the sire to the woman’s treachery. She therefore drove de Mosquera into torpor with a stake through the heart and had mortal underlings drag him into the daylight. Roca’s followers claim that Bellido murdered the sire because de Mosquera favored the woman more. They freely admit to Roca’s attempts to trap de Mosquera by the Vinculum, and insist that proves the truth of their account. Bellido’s only choice was to be damned to the bottom of the coterie’s pecking order or to eliminate his creator. deal with the problems the outcasts posed. Only in a few cities, usually those where the Circle of the Crone held considerable influence, did Kindred leadership tolerate the Nahualli (unless their activities posed an unmistakable threat). Society and Culture Tonight, the Nahualli have learned to keep a low profile among mortals and other vampires. Nearly half a century of blood hunts and exile has taught them that the average Kindred is too bound by tradition or too narrow minded to accept a dual nature. When dealing with other undead, Jekylls usually present themselves as simple Ventrue, if the subject arises at all. They don’t see this as a deceit, but just another aspect of their faceted nature. Nahualli are generally very civil, bordering on kindness to both mortals and other vampires. Elders stress such decorum as necessary as willingness to accept the Beast. To those unaware of line members’ dual identities, Nahualli often seem to be moral exemplars (or naïve fools who look like easy victims). DAY OF THE DEAD Traditionally, this festival is recognized by the bloodline sometime in mid- to late August. A victim is lowered into a fire pit or placed on a pyre and burned alive. Before the victim expires, she is pulled from the fire — usually with chains so the Nahualli avoid the flames — and her heart is cut out. As a whole, Nahualli seldom become as involved in Kindred politics and infighting as their parent clan members. They find such endeavors distracting from their higher pursuit. Such dissociation is probably a survival trait as well. A Nahualli is ill prepared to take a Harpy’s barb in court without loosing the Beast. During their many of their rituals or when in frenzy, the veneer of Nahualli benevolence is torn asunder. Any acts committed during frenzy are “the province of the Smoking Mirror” and a line member professes no remorse over them. Likewise, no matter how vile a ritual turns, it is the dark side that’s served, not the light. Or so the brood claims. Simply saying it doesn’t necessarily make it so, however. Humanity usually dwindles quickly in the Nahualli soul. No one, no matter how pious or how caring they once might have been, can perform such acts of cruelty without suffering. And loosing the Beast freely just reminds it how it hates to go back into its cave. Weak-willed Nahualli can succumb to their inherited weakness for mental failings in short order. For the strong willed, it may take longer, but the ultimate outcome is rarely in doubt. In either case, the once-benevolent face of a Nahualli becomes nothing more than a mask for the madness raging beneath. The Two Factions Both Roca and Bellido’s factions exist tonight. The Nahualli, never a wide lineage, was significantly reduced by backlash from traditional Kindred society. Neither faction is represented in more than a handful of cities. Together, total membership may number a few dozen. Each group insists the other is not truly Nahualli, but a degenerate offshoot. Both continue to practice the same rites that de Mosquera taught. Each also maintains the belief that by separating the aspects of their vampiric nature, they can somehow attain a pure state of being. Roca’s faithful approach the line’s tenets with a religious reverence and have gravitated toward traditional Aztec trappings, using obsidian blades and even wearing ceremonial garb. They deify the Smoking Mirror (their Beast), and understand frenzies to be a form of divine possession. By extrapolation, bestial impulses are merely the gods’ aspects made manifest. It therefore falls to the individual to perfect the light aspect of her nature when a god is not upon her. Bellido’s students take a clinical approach, although their efforts are no less supernatural. They use modern implements to perform de Mosquera’s rituals and refer to the rites as “exercises.” They insist that the Beast is an external manifestation of the id and that repression of it is damaging to the undead psyche. Likewise, the superego — that part of the self that is often associated with a “conscience” — must be cultivated. Given the dual nature of the Kindred condition, the perfect model is a dual-natured mind. While factional differences seem vast to the Nahualli, their conflict seems semantic to an outsider. In fact, to other Kindred, the Nahualli can be an erratic and volatile menace. Rituals of Damnation The Nahualli do not murder with wanton abandon, contrary to the claims of other Kindred, and contrary to seeming evidence. Following their interpretation of de Mosquera’s teachings, the factions practice grisly but highly regimented murder. Specific acts, approximate times of year, and appropriate types of victims have long been decreed. The founder derived each from Aztec tradition, because he believed it to in some way strengthen the demarcation between light and dark aspects. Samples of those rites are scattered throughout this bloodline write-up. To the modern reader, Aztec sacrifices read like something from a horror novel. While archaeologists and historians argue about the exact nature of these practices, the fact remains that the Aztec population accepted them as a part of life, without necessarily sinking into depravity as a culture. Social and religious tenets allowed them to accept and even celebrate rites that tonight seem abhorrent to all but the most bestial. And yet, de Mosquera’s followers do not have the Aztec’s unique viewpoint on ritual sacrifice infused into them. In spite of the progenitor’s teachings and claims to the contrary, the Nahualli do risk loss of Humanity and degeneration. Thanks to the power of the bloodline’s belief, however, degeneration rolls made for acts committed in rites do receive a +1 bonus. The performers believe (to varying degrees) that a part of themselves becomes “pure” as a result of such actions. This bonus applies to only degeneration rolls called for by acts committed during a Nahualli ritual. Despite this emotional reinforcement, many of the bloodline rapidly slide into the depths of depravity. A few draugr arose early during Nahualli expansion, complicating relations with other Kindred. Tonight, the bloodline keeps a close eye on its members, quickly and quietly dispatching any who sink too far into the Beast. These fallen individuals are considered to have lost the balance of their aspects, forever indulging in the Smoking Mirror alone. The potential for a Nahualli to frenzy during a ritual is great. The presence of vast quantities of blood is often unavoidable, and some rites involve fire. While the bloodline in general does not restrain frenzies, members are aware of the potential for disaster. It’s standard practice for all participants to have fed fully before beginning a killing, at least reducing the chance of Wassail. Nahualli groups that survive more than a short while in a city have a secured location for their repugnant practices. It may be an abandoned portion of a subway or a maintenance tunnel, although the presence of Nosferatu or other undead who also lurk there makes such a choice a risky proposition. Others rely on wealth to protect their “temples,” hiding them atop penthouses or on country estates. Finding a suitable location is the first priority of any Nahualli calpulli in a new city. TEZCATLIPOCA’S GIFT Some Nahualli groups practice a year-long rite that requires them to hold a male captive the entire time. Young, male Kindred are ideal subjects. During the year, the victim is confined but granted any luxury short of freedom. At the end of the year, the group takes the victim to a designated shrine and removes his heart, preferably before administering Final Death. Needless to say, this ritual alone is likely to turn most of Kindred society against the bloodline. Known Nahualli Tezcatl The Nahualli take the name of their unique Discipline from the Nahuatl word for “mirror.” The term ties closely to the bloodline’s belief in the aspected nature of undead existence. Each side of their being, civilized individual and raging Beast, is considered a mere reflection of the other. The Nahualli claim that Tezcatl isn’t truly a Discipline at all, but a manifestation of their ascension toward duality. The powers can seem to lend credence to that assertion, allowing users to mask certain elements of one side of their nature or the other. The line’s founder met Final Death fairly early in Nahualli history. That combined with the brood’s fairly specific focus and relatively young age limits the number of powers developed so far. A mortal can resist the effects of a Tezcatl power for a turn with the expenditure of a Willpower point and a successful Stamina roll (the Willpower point does not add three dice to the roll). This roll is reflexive. If the roll fails, the Willpower point is lost and the mortal remains under the effects of the power. If the roll is successful, the subject can act normally for a turn. A vampire who is the victim of a Tezcatl power, and who has a higher Blood Potency than the Nahualli, can resist the power for an entire scene if a Willpower point is spent and a successful Stamina roll is made. • Conciliation This aspect of Tezcatl more than any other lends some credence to Nahualli beliefs. The user obliviates the effect of Predator’s Taint (Vampire, p. 168) when encountering other Kindred. It does not mask the fact that the line member is a vampire. It merely prevents the usual urges of frenzy or Rötschreck. Cost: — Dice Pool: Presence + Persuasion + Tezcatl Action: Instant Roll Results Dramatic Failure: The vampire encountered is immune to further uses of Tezcatl by the character for the remainder of the night. A roll must be made normally for the Nahualli to avoid frenzy or Rötschreck as appropriate to the encounter. Failure: The vampire encountered is unaffected and Predator’s Taint applies to both vampires normally. Success: Neither the Nahualli nor the subject is affected by Predator’s Taint. Checks for frenzy are not required. Each is, however, aware of the other’s Kindred nature. Exceptional Success: The effect occurs as a reflexive action. Another activity can be performed in the same turn in which the power is used. A Nahualli can use this power immediately upon encountering another Kindred — quickly enough to avoid triggering the effects of Predator’s Taint. The user must be aware of the other vampire to activate it. So, if the Nahualli is caught off guard in a surprise situation, it’s too late to use this power to avoid frenzy rolls. Not even an exceptional success allows use of the power when the Nahualli is caught completely off guard. Since Predator’s Taint arises only when Kindred meet for the first time, subsequent uses of the power on the same vampire are probably unnecessary. If more than one foreign vampire is encountered when this power is used, successful activation avoids the effects of Predator’s Taint for the whole group. A Willpower point and successful Stamina roll, as discussed above, cannot resist the effects of this power once contact between undead has been made. That is, once two vampires have encountered each other and the meeting is civil thanks to use of this power, the Kindred met cannot “reset” the meeting and invoke Predator’s Taint again. •• Life’s Reflection Through this power, a Nahualli is able to draw some of the negative effects of the Beast from herself. The vampire does not inspire the usual repulsion that mortals feel around one of the Damned with a low Humanity. The power causes the vampire’s flesh to suffuse with Vitae and counterfeit life, generating an almost palpable aura of calm and trust. Cost: 1 Vitae Dice Pool: Composure + Empathy + Tezcatl Action: Instant Roll Results Dramatic Failure: All Empathy, Persuasion and Socialize ools suffer a –2 penalty for the remainder of the scene, and Life’s Reflection may not be attempted again in that time. Failure: The power has no effect, but a successive attempt may be possible at the expense of another Vitae. Success: The Nahualli receives the benefits of “the blush of life” (see “Counterfeiting Life,” Vampire, p. 156). In addition, Empathy-, Persuasion- and Socialize- based dice pools are not limited by the character’s Humanity dots. Exceptional Success: The character receives all the benefits of success. Empathy, Persuasion and Socialize pools also receive a +2 bonus for the remainder of the scene when dealing with non-vampires. This power affects all non-vampires who come into contact with the Nahualli for the duration of the power. It has no effect on other Kindred. Life’s Reflection does not grant the vampire the ability to consume food or drink. That requires a separate Vitae expenditure. The effects of the power persist for the remainder of the scene. ••• Focus the Aspect The Nahualli assert that all beings, mortal or Kindred, possess aspects. According to them, all emotions are merely expressions of a particular facet of identity. Focus the Aspect allows a Nahualli to impose a subtle and temporary change on another being. The bloodline claims it has learned to amplify the emotions of others to free their aspects. Other Kindred argue that this power is merely a result of Nahualli tinkering with Dominate. Cost: 1 Vitae Dice Pool: Manipulation + Subterfuge + Tezcatl versus Composure + Blood Potency Action: Contested; resistance is reflexive Roll Results Dramatic Failure: The power fails and the intended subject is immune to further uses of the Nahualli’s Tezcatl until the next sunset. If a dramatic failure occurs for the subject, an exceptional success is consider to apply for the Nahualli. Failure: An equal number or the most successes are rolled for the intended subject. The power has no effect, but a successive attempt may be possible at the expense of another Vitae. Success: The most successes are rolled for the Jekyll. He may intensify any emotion that the subject currently feels such that it becomes a driving force to the exclusion of all other concerns. A new Virtue or Vice is chosen for the subject and it takes precedent over the subject’s normal one. The subject could even regain Willpower by performing acts in keeping with his new trait. Exceptional Success: The most successes — five or more — are rolled for the Nahualli. The user actually creates a new emotion in the subject and makes it all-consuming. When successfully employed, the emotion chosen becomes the focal point for any of the subject’s decisions. Exactly what effect that may have on her actions depends on the situation and the emotion, as determined by the Storyteller. The Nahualli cannot dictate the specific actions that a subject takes, only the inspiration behind them. This power normally intensifies only an emotion that a subject already feels. Happiness could be turned into the Hope Virtue, for example. A Nahualli could not create Hope in a subject who grieves or is in pain. He cannot change the object of an emotion, either. Love could not be transferred from a mortal wife to a Kindred enemy. With an exceptional success, however, any emotional response is fair game. A subject could be made to feel pity for an enemy he tried to kill a moment before, acquiring the Wrath Vice temporarily. This power cannot trigger a frenzy, Wassail or Rötschreck roll in another Kindred (not even with an exceptional success). It can, however, complicate another vampire’s attempt to remain under control. If a Nahualli successfully uses this power against a vampire exposed to an event or object that requires a roll to resist frenzy, Rötschreck or Wassail, rolls made for the subject suffer a –2 penalty. The Nahualli must be able to see a subject directly to use Focus the Aspect. Looking at him on TV or in a photo does not apply. The subject’s amplified emotion persists for the remainder of the scene, unless a Willpower point is spent and a successful Stamina roll is made to gain some control (see above). •••• The Smoking Mirror Regardless of the covenant to which a Nahualli belongs, the focus of her philosophy is being an “aspected” creature. One facet is civilized and even benevolent. Balancing that state is the Beast. This power allows a Nahualli to harness her dark aspect, intentionally hurling her into an anger frenzy for a limited time. Cost: 1 Vitae Dice Pool: Wits + Empathy + Tezcatl Action: Instant Roll Results Dramatic Failure: The power fails and the vampire cannot attempt to frenzy voluntarily — whether by this power or by “riding the wave” (Vampire, p. 181) — until the next sunset. Failure: The power fails. A successive attempt might be possible at the expense of another Vitae. Success: The character immediately enters an anger frenzy, with effects listed on p. 179 of Vampire. Exceptional Success: No additional effects beyond extended duration. The duration of the effect depends on the number of successes obtained on the power’s activation roll. Successes Duration 1 success Two turns 2 successes Five turns 3 successes 20 turns (one minute) 4 successes 10 minutes 5+ successes One hour or the remainder of the scene A controlled frenzy can be ended sooner than indicated if the Nahualli wills it. Repeated use of this power in the same night does not impose a penalty to subsequent uses, as riding the wave does. Nor does it impose penalties on or is it penalized by actual attempts to ride the wave. This power cannot be activated to control a frenzy that occurs spontaneously, say by being confronted with fire. After the Smoking Mirror is active, phenomena that would normally provoke a frenzy, Wassail or Rötschreck have no effect; the vampire is already in the throes of the Beast and (in this case) his own identity. A vampire can be subject to only one use of this power at a time. The effect cannot be applied to other Kindred. ••••• Leashing the Beast The Jekyll’s understanding of duality is so powerful that she can manipulate not only her own beast into frenzy, but sway the Beast of other Kindred. Where as their parent clan can weild Animalism en mass, a Nahualli can specify a target. This is not overt control, as with Obedience or the Dominate Discipline. Rather, the Kindred learns to rouse the Beast’s instincts, inspiring it — and thus the vampire within whom it lurks— to behave in a certain manner. Of course, communing with the Beast is dangerous even under the best of circumstances, and a few unfortunate Kindred have been destroyed by their own failed attempts to manipulate others’ Beasts. The subject must be a vampire and must be within the character’s line of sight. (If the character makes herself the subject, she need not be able to see, so she can do so even in complete darkness or when otherwise blinded.) The player must decide to invoke a rage frenzy or Rötschreck, or to alleviate either of them. Cost: 1 Vitae Dice Pool: Manipulation + Empathy + Animalism versus Composure + Blood Potency (to affect another); Manipulation + Empathy + Animalism (to affect oneself) Action: Instant (to affect oneself) or Contested; resistance is reflexive (to affect another) Roll Results Dramatic Failure: Used on another, the character’s power rebounds and a Willpower point must be spent or she enters either frenzy or Rötschreck, whichever she attempted to influence. Additionally, the subject is immune to any further Leashing the Beast attempts by the character until the next sunset. When the power is used on the character’s self, the opposite kind of frenzy sought is invoked (Rötschreck when rage frenzy was intended). Failure: The character fails the instant action, or loses or ties the contested action and the power fails. Success: The instant action inspires or calms rage frenzy or Rötschreck in the character herself. Or, the character gets the most successes and manipulates another’s Beast. Frenzy or Rötschreck rules apply as normal for the remainder of the scene if either is induced. Exceptional Success: The character fulfills the instant action or wins the contested roll with five or more successes, and the subject is immediately forced into (or out of) frenzy or Rötschreck. If the subject is forced into frenzy or Rötschreck, he or she remains in that state for the remainder of the scene, regardless of surrounding events or circumstances. Additionally, Willpower cannot be spent to end the frenzy prematurely. If the subject is brought out of frenzy or Rötschreck, he or she is not subject to frenzy or Rötschreck for the remainder of the scene, regardless of surrounding events or circumstances. Suggested Modifiers If the character knows another’s Mask or Dirge, such knowledge grants a +1 bonus, though she must cajole the Beast by specifically focusing on those aspects of the subject’s personality. These bonuses are not cumulative. Knowing a character’s Mask and Dirge nets only a +1 bonus, not a +2. If this power is turned on a vampire with whom the user has a blood tie (see p. 162), a +2 bonus is gained. If the character is already in frenzy and uses this power to calm herself, a -2 penalty applies.